Bean-harvester.



No. 696,668. Patented Apr. n, |962.

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BEAN HARVESTER.

(Application filled Jan. 26, 1900. Renewed Feb. 28, 1902.)

(No Model.)

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limitan drames Farmer @erica CLINTON C. FAST, OF POTTERVILLE, MICHIGAN.

BEANEHARVESTEi-l.

SPESIFECATIUN forming part of Letters Patent No. 696,668, dated April 1, 1902.

Application filed January 26, 1900. Renewed February 28, 1902. Serial No. 96,065. (No model.)

To all whom, it' may concern:

Be it known that I, CLINTON C. FAs'r, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Potterville, in the county of Eaton, State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bean Harvesters;

and l do declare the following to be a full,`

clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in bean-harvesters; and it consists in the construction and arrangement of the parts hereinafter fully set forth,and pointed out particularly in the claims.

The object of the invention is to provide simple and efficient means for severing two rows of vines, forcing them together in a single row, and collecting and bunching the combined rows as the machine is drawn over the field.

The above object is attainedby the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichp x Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a bean-harvesting machine involving my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section through the frame, onV which 'are mounted the hinged or pivoted rake-tines. Fig. 3 is a planview of the frame and rake.

Referring to the characters of reference, 1 designates the frame `of the machine, supported in any suitable lnanner upon transporting-wheels 2. The wheels are sufficiently far apart to enable the machine to straddle two rows of beans.

Depending from the frame of the machine are the plows or beveled knives 3, standing at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the machine and converging rearwardly. These knives are located contiguous to the ground and are adapted to sever the rows of beans as the machine moves along. Located above the knives are the guide-rods ,which are adapted to receive and support the severed vines in an upright position.

The angle of the knives and guide-rods is such that the severed vines of two rows are worked rearwardly by the movement of the machine, so that the vines ofthe two rows are thrown together at the rear -point of said knives.

To receive and bunch the severed vines of beans, l employ a rake whose tines 5 stand in the rear of the knives 3 and are adapted to receive and collect the beans discharged from the ends of saidu knives. The tines of the rake are mounted on the main frame, their inner ends being bent partially around a transverse shaft 6 and threaded to receive a nut 7, which bears upon a curved plate 8, which receives the tine of the rake on opposite sides of said shaft, whereby, through-the medium of the nut 7, the rake-tine is secured to said shaft 6. All of the tines of the rake pass through a cross-bar 9, located at the rear of the frame and secured to the shaft 6 by long bolts 10. Journaled upon the frame is a crankshaft 11, having a verticalcrank 12 therein,

the bean-harvesting machine and fork or rake the severed vines into bunches or shocks. By means of my invention the vines may be vhunched as rapidly as they are severed, thereby saving the time and labor necessary to bunch them by hand.

Depending from the rear ends of the poles 14 is a seat 15, (shown by dotted lines in Fig.

1,) which supports the operator and places him in a position to readily manipulate the rake.

A slotted casting 16 depends from the frame and serves as a guide for the pivoted arm 17, which passes therethrough andcarries a divider 18 at its forward end, adapted to divide the vines in advance ofthe cutter-knives. A spring 19 is employed to exert a downward pressure upon the knife-carrying frame to 'adapted to be engaged by the foot of the opi IDD the tines pass, said plates lying across the upper face of said shaft and receiving the threaded ends of the tines in the rear thereof, nuts screwed onto the threaded ends against said plates, a transverse bar at the rear of the machine common to all of said tines and through which said tines pass, bolts connected with the shaft and secured at their outer ends to said bar and means for raising and lowering said bar to actuate the tines in unison.

2. In a bean-harvester, the combination of clamped to said shaft, a movable cross-bar having apertures therethrough and extending longitudinally of the frame, said bar being common to all of the rake-tines which pass freely th rough the apertures in said bar, bolts journaled to said shaft and secured at their outer ends to said bar, a rock-shaft journaled at the rear of the frame having an upwardly-projecting crank formed therein and having an integral end portion bent outwardly at right angles to said crank passing freely through said bar and adapted to slide therein.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two Witnesses.

CLINTON C. FAST. 

